Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-02-03


morrow, and Rasin trial 10 compose her.
self 10 sleep, but without cf1eot She
found herself watching the occasional
faint glimmer Of the smoldering logs,
playing itfully on the dim tapestry, and
presently, though by no means given 10
indTlging in nervous fancies. she felt
convinced that the curtain which half
drIpc,l the door was shaken.
Another moment proved TINT this was
indeed no fancy. Slowly and silently the
doGr opened, and her heart stool still
with horror as she distinctly saw her
trusted butler, holding in one hand q
lighted candle, in the other an rnshcathed
lasgrr-whllc close behind him followed
the la'ly's maid.
With n sudden instinct OF self-preserva'
tinu their mistress closed her eyes and
fcigncd deep sleep. Not a tremor dis
tprbcd the regularity of her breathing rs
the would-bc murlerers came close to
her and pasSed.the light before her eyes.
II cannot do it" she heard the man
whisper. "She's so fast asleep that she
Is quite safe. You go on while | keep
watch" She heard a low murmur of
dissent, after which, while conscious that
the mans eyes remained fixed upon her,
she heard the woman searching for her
keys, and then proceed to unlock the
Flemish cabinet and open the various
drawers in which were stored her most
valued jewels, after which she passed to
an inner dressing room wherein were
sundry objects of considerable intrinsic
value. .T. . sg- "..
Having collected her booty, the woman
once more returned to urge her compan-
ion to the foul deed of murder. Better
do it, she said; "better make sure
dead folk tell no tales" .n.
Happily his heart failed him. "I can
not kill q sleeping woman," he said.
Then with sense of indescribable relief,
the feigned sleeper was conscious that
the light was withdrawn, and that the
cautious footsteps retreated to the door,
and her sharpened ear followed their
sound as they passed down the long cor
ridor. No sleep was hers through th
ensuing dark hours of vigil, as she lay III
q stiffness of great horror longing for the
dawn. Meanwhile she had decided on
her course Of action. Knowing the diff
culties of getting away from the castle
except by borrowing horse from her
own stables, or by sending for one in the
nearest town, she was convinced that
though the robbers might take advantage
Of the darkness to conceal their booty
| outside the house, they would scarcely
attempt to start before morning. She
therefore waited quietly till, at the ac-
customcd hour, her maid came to call her,
when, with her usual calm, she went
through all the prolonged mysteries Of
the toilet in such a manner as completely
to allay all possibility of suspicion. OF
course she was especially careful not to
ask for anything which she supposed
might possibly have been removed.
She then went leisurely down to break
fast, at which her butler waited with all
due care. On his inquiring whether she
had any orders for the carriage that morn
ing, she replied that she had not, as the
weather looked showery. But as he
reached the door she recalled him, and
with the most perfectly assumed care
lessness said: "Yes, think had better
take turn. Bid the coach come round
at II o'clock'i So at II the carriage
came to the door and the lady gave direc,
tions for a short drive to certain farms
The coachman drove leisurely down the
stately lime avenue and through the bird
fringed glen till he was well out of sight
of the castle, when his mistress, throwing
off her assumed calm, bade him take
another road and drive to the colpnel's
house as fast as the horses could go. 20.
In an incredibly short time her tale
| was told to one who was ever ready for
prompt action, and lost not moment in
rrdering out his own fresh horses (the
speed of the colonel's grays was proven
bal through the district). Leaving his
sister, now thoroughly worn out with; the
prolonged nervous tension, he started in
hot haste, and, urging his willing steeds
to gallop, he reached the castle just in
time to arrest the guilty couple, who had
completed their arrangements for flight
with all their booty. lr .. .n
AS the carriage dashed up the avenue,
the painting horses betokening unwonted
pressure, the butler was heard to ex-
claim, ITS all up look at the colonel's
grays!" And "all up" for him it proved,
for both he and the maid were forthwith
arrested and committed to the county
Jail to stand their trial at the next as
sizes, and in Scotland, at the close of the
last century, hanging was the penalty not
only for sheep stealing and cattle lifting,
but for all manner of theft. The peculi-
arity of the present case was that the
comeliness Of the female prisoner so
affected the jury (there were no women
on that jury)l that, in the very face of di-
rect evidence to the contrary, they chose
to assume that the woman was acting
under the mans influence. So he who
had persistently refused to murder
sleeping woman was condemned to be
hanged, whereas the temptress who had
urged him to the crime was pardOned!
Such were the peculiarities of legal JUS
tice in the days Of our grandparents.
F. Gordon Cumming in Home Chimes.